U.S. patent number 10,461,975 [Application Number 15/288,884] was granted by the patent office on 2019-10-29 for dynamic cyclic prefix (cp) length in wireless communication.
This patent grant is currently assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated. The grantee listed for this patent is QUALCOMM Incorporated. Invention is credited to Wanshi Chen, Peter Gaal, Tingfang Ji.
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00000.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00001.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00002.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00003.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00004.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00005.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00006.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00007.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00008.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00009.png)
![](/patent/grant/10461975/US10461975-20191029-D00010.png)
View All Diagrams
United States Patent |
10,461,975 |
Chen , et al. |
October 29, 2019 |
Dynamic cyclic prefix (CP) length in wireless communication
Abstract
An apparatus may determine a cyclic prefix (CP) length for a
signal for a communication link based on a dynamic indication. The
CP length may be determined from a plurality of CP lengths. The
apparatus may communicate the signal using the determined CP
length. Determining the CP length may be further based on at least
one of a modulation and coding scheme, a subcarrier spacing, a
service type, a communication link direction, a rank number, a type
or a capability of the node, or a number of nodes scheduled in the
same transmit time interval. Determining the CP length may include
determining a first CP length for a first symbol of a plurality of
symbols in the TTI, and determining a second CP length, different
than the first CP length, for a second symbol of the plurality of
symbols in the TTI. Various additional and alternative aspects are
described herein.
Inventors: |
Chen; Wanshi (San Diego,
CA), Gaal; Peter (San Diego, CA), Ji; Tingfang (San
Diego, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QUALCOMM Incorporated |
San Diego |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
QUALCOMM Incorporated (San
Diego, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
58710126 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/288,884 |
Filed: |
October 7, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20170331658 A1 |
Nov 16, 2017 |
|
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
62334566 |
May 11, 2016 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
27/2607 (20130101); H04W 72/1278 (20130101); H04L
5/22 (20130101); H04W 72/1263 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
12/801 (20130101); H04L 5/22 (20060101); H04L
27/26 (20060101); H04L 5/14 (20060101); H04L
12/24 (20060101); H04W 72/12 (20090101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WO2009052420 |
|
Apr 2009 |
|
WO |
|
WO-2009052420 |
|
Apr 2009 |
|
WO |
|
WO-2010050731 |
|
May 2010 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #78, R1-143126, Pub.date: Aug. 18-20,
2014. cited by examiner .
3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #78bits, R1-144070, Pub.date: Oct. 6-10,
2014. cited by examiner .
3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #84bits, R1-144070, Pub.date: Apr. 11-15,
2016. cited by examiner .
Zhang Z-Y., et al., "A Novel OFDM Transmission Scheme with
Length-Adaptive Cyclic Prefix", Journal of Zhejiang University
Science, vol. 5, No. 11, 2004, pp. 1336-1342. cited by applicant
.
Huawei., et al., "Overview of 5G frame structure," 3rd Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP); 3GPP DRAFT; R1-162157, Mobile
Competence Centre ; 650, Route Des Lucioles ; F-06921
Sophia-Antipolis Cedex; France; vol. RAN WG1, No. Busan, Korea;
Apr. 11, 2016-Apr. 15, 2016; Apr. 2, 2016 (Apr. 2, 2016),
XP051080003, pp. 6. Retrieved from the Internet: URL:
http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_ran/WG1_RL1/TSGR1_84b/Docs/ [retrieved
on Apr. 2, 2016]. cited by applicant .
International Search Report and Written
Opinion--PCT/US2017/031443--ISA/EPO--dated Aug. 10, 2017. cited by
applicant .
Lucent A., et al., "Configuration of D2D CP Length," 3rd Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP); 3GPP Draft; R1-144070 Ra D2dcp Final,
Mobile Competence Centre ; 650, Route Des Lucioles; F-06921;
Sophia-Antipolis Cedex; France; vol. RAN WG1, No. Ljubljana,
Slovenia; Oct. 6, 2014-Oct. 10, 2014; Sep. 27, 2014 (Sep. 27,
2014), XP050869728, pp. 2. Retrieved from the Internet:
URL:http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_ran/WG1_RL1/TSGR1_78b/Docs/
[retrieved on Sep. 27, 2014]. cited by applicant .
SHARP: "Consideration on Configurable CP Length for D2D
Transmission ," 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Mobile
Competence Centre, 3GPP Draft; R1-143126, 650, Route Des Lucioles;
F-06921 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex ; France; vol. RAN WG1, No. Dresden,
Germany; Aug. 18, 2014-Aug. 22, 2014; Aug. 17, 2014 (Aug. 17,
2014), XP050788604, pp. 4. Retrieved from the Internet:
URL:http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Meetings_3GPP_SYNC/RAN1/Docs/
[retrieved on Aug. 17, 2014]. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Roberts; Brian S
Assistant Examiner: Haque; Abusayeed M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Loza & Loza, LLP
Parent Case Text
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority to and the benefit of provisional
patent application no. 62/334,566 filed in the United States Patent
and Trademark Office on 11 May 2016, the entire content of which is
incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below in its
entirety and for all applicable purposes.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of wireless communication by a node, the method
comprising: receiving a dynamic indication configured to recommend
at least one of cyclic prefix (CP) length or tone spacing from a
scheduling entity; determining at least one of a CP length or a
tone spacing for a signal for a communication link based on the
dynamic indication; and communicating the signal utilizing the
determined at least one of the CP length or the tone spacing, with
the scheduling entity via the communication link.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises
at least one of a downlink, an uplink, or a sidelink, and wherein
the determining comprises: determining a first CP length or a first
tone spacing for one of the downlink, the uplink or the sidelink;
and determining a second CP length that is different from the first
CP length or a second tone spacing that is different from the first
tone spacing, for another one of the downlink, the uplink or the
sidelink.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a
plurality of CP lengths based on the dynamic indication, wherein
the plurality of CP lengths are different from a plurality of CP
lengths recommended by the scheduling entity for another node.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: configuring the
signal with the CP length by radio resource control (RRC)
messages.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: configuring the
signal with the CP length utilizing cell-specific signaling that is
the same as cell-specific signaling used to configure a CP length
for another node.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the CP length is
further based on at least one of a modulation and coding scheme
(MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service type, a communication link
direction, a rank number, a type or a capability of the node, or a
number of nodes scheduled in a same transmission time interval
(TTI).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic indication comprises
one set of a plurality of sets of CP lengths utilized by the
scheduling entity, and wherein each of the sets of CP lengths is
associated with at least one of a modulation and coding scheme
(MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service type, a communication link
direction, a rank number, a type or a capability of the node, or a
number of nodes scheduled in a same transmit time interval
(TTI).
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the
signal over a transmission time interval (TTI) comprising a
plurality of symbols, wherein the determining the CP length
comprises: determining a first CP length for a first symbol of the
plurality of symbols in the TTI; and determining a second CP
length, different from the first CP length, for a second symbol of
the plurality of symbols in the TTI.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the
signal on a data channel, wherein the determining the CP length
comprises: determining a CP length for a control channel associated
with the data channel, wherein the determining the CP length for
the control channel is based on at least one of a semi-static
indication, a static indication, or a hardcoded value.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control channel and the data
channel are time-division multiplexed.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: reporting, to the
scheduling entity, a recommendation for one or more CP lengths.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the
scheduling entity, information comprising a subset of a plurality
of CP lengths utilized by the scheduling entity; and reporting, to
the scheduling entity, one or more CP lengths based on the
subset.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the tone spacing
is further based on at least one of a modulation and coding scheme
(MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service type, a communication link
direction, a rank number, a type or a capability of the node, or a
number of nodes scheduled in a same transmit time interval
(TTI).
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: reporting, to the
scheduling entity, a recommendation of one or more tone
spacings.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the
scheduling entity, information comprising a subset of a plurality
of tone spacings utilized by the scheduling entity; and reporting,
to the scheduling entity, one or more tone spacings based on the
subset.
16. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising: a
communication interface configured to utilize a signal for a
communication link; a memory stored with executable code; and a
processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and
memory, wherein the processor is configured by the executable code
to: receive a dynamic indication configured to recommend at least
one of cyclic prefix (CP) length or tone spacing from a scheduling
entity; determine at least one of a CP length or a tone spacing for
a signal for a communication link based on the dynamic indication;
and communicate the signal utilizing the determined at least one of
the CP length or the tone spacing, with the scheduling entity via
the communication link.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication link
comprises at least one of a downlink, an uplink, or a sidelink, and
wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a first
CP length or a first tone spacing for one of the downlink, the
uplink or the sidelink; and determine a second CP length that is
different from the first CP length or a second tone spacing that is
different from the first tone spacing, for another one of the
downlink, the uplink or the sidelink.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: determine a plurality of CP lengths based on the
dynamic indication, wherein the plurality of CP lengths are
different from a plurality of CP lengths recommended by the
scheduling entity for another node.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: configure the signal with the CP length by radio
resource control (RRC) messages.
20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: configure the signal with the CP length utilizing
cell-specific signaling that is the same as cell-specific signaling
used to configure a CP length for another node.
21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to determine the CP length further based on at least one
of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a
service type, a communication link direction, a rank number, a type
or a capability of the apparatus, or a number of nodes scheduled in
a same transmission time interval (TTI).
22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the dynamic indication
comprises one set of a plurality of sets of CP lengths utilized by
the scheduling entity, and wherein each of the sets of CP lengths
is associated with at least one of a modulation and coding scheme
(MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service type, a communication link
direction, a rank number, a type or a capability of the apparatus,
or a number of nodes scheduled in a same transmit time interval
(TTI).
23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: communicate the signal over a transmission time
interval (TTI) comprising a plurality of symbols; determine a first
CP length for a first symbol of the plurality of symbols in the
TTI; and determine a second CP length, different from the first CP
length, for a second symbol of the plurality of symbols in the
TTI.
24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: communicate the signal on a data channel; and
determine a CP length for a control channel associated with the
data channel, based on at least one of a semi-static indication, a
static indication, or a hardcoded value.
25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control channel and the
data channel are time-division multiplexed.
26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: report, to the scheduling entity, a recommendation
for one or more CP lengths.
27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: receive information comprising a subset of a
plurality of CP lengths utilized by the scheduling entity; and
report, to the scheduling entity, one or more CP lengths based on
the subset.
28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to determine the tone spacing further based on at least
one of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a subcarrier spacing,
a service type, a communication link direction, a rank number, a
type or a capability of the apparatus, or a number of nodes
scheduled in a same transmit time interval (TTI).
29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: report, to the scheduling entity, a recommendation
of one or more tone spacings.
30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
configured to: receive information comprising a subset of a
plurality of tone spacings utilized by the scheduling entity; and
report, to the scheduling entity, one or more tone spacings based
on the subset.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The technology discussed herein relates, generally, to wireless
communication systems, and, more particularly, to using a dynamic
cyclic prefix (CP) length for wireless communication.
INTRODUCTION
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide
various communication services such as telephony, video, data,
messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually
multiple access networks, support communication for multiple users
by sharing the available network resources. Within such wireless
networks, a variety of data services may be provided, including
voice, video, messaging, and emails. The spectrum allocated to such
wireless communication networks can include licensed spectrum
and/or unlicensed spectrum. As the demand for mobile broadband
access continues to increase, research and development continue to
advance wireless communication technologies not only to meet the
growing demand for mobile broadband access, but also to advance and
enhance the user experience with mobile communications.
In an ideal case without any multipath, a wireless communication
network that utilized orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
(OFDM) would be able to transmit signals that were free from any
interference from other subcarriers or tones, and from inter-symbol
interference (ISI). However, in a real-world network having a
multipath radio environment, orthogonality between the subcarriers
may be partially lost. To help maintain orthogonality, many
networks that utilize OFDM may sometimes utilize a cyclic prefix
(CP) to mitigate the ISI from multipath communication. In some
examples, a network may implement a CP by copying the tail of each
OFDM symbol and pasting it onto the front of the symbol.
Some systems may use a longer CP duration in a scenario where there
is greater delay spread, particularly for wireless devices found
near the outer boundary of a relatively large cell. However, the
use of a longer CP duration may result in increased overhead and
lower resource utilization. On the other hand, a CP length that is
too short may not adequately mitigate the potential impact of ISI.
Accordingly, the appropriate CP length may be different under
varying circumstances.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES
The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects
of the present disclosure, in order to provide a basic
understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive
overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure, and is
intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all
aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all
aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some
concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in a simplified
form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is
presented later.
Aspects of the present disclosure provide various methods and
apparatuses configured to dynamically determine a CP length and/or
tone spacing collaboratively between nodes (e.g., a scheduling
entity and a subordinate entity) based on various factors observed
by the nodes.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of wireless
communication by a node. The method determines at least one of a
cyclic prefix (CP) length or a tone spacing for a signal for a
communication link based on a dynamic indication. The CP length is
determined from a plurality of CP lengths, and the tone spacing is
determined from a plurality of tone spacings. The method further
communicates the signal utilizing the determined at least one of
the CP length or the tone spacing.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for
wireless communication. The apparatus includes a communication
interface configured to utilize a signal for a communication link,
a memory stored with executable code, and a processor operatively
coupled to the communication interface and memory. The processor is
configured by the executable code to determine at least one of a CP
length or a tone spacing for a signal for a communication link
based on a dynamic indication. The CP length is determined from a
plurality of CP lengths, and the tone spacing is determined from a
plurality of tone spacings. The processor is further configured to
communicate the signal utilizing the determined at least one of the
CP length or the tone spacing.
These and other aspects of the invention will become more fully
understood upon a review of the detailed description, which
follows. Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the present
invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art, upon reviewing the following description of specific,
exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with
the accompanying figures. While features of the present invention
may be discussed relative to certain embodiments and figures below,
all embodiments of the present invention can include one or more of
the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while
one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain
advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be
used in accordance with the various embodiments of the invention
discussed herein. In similar fashion, while exemplary embodiments
may be discussed below as device, system, or method embodiments it
should be understood that such exemplary embodiments can be
implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an access network
according to some aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a
scheduling entity communicating with one or more subordinate
entities according to some aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware
implementation for a scheduling entity according to some aspects of
the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware
implementation for a subordinate entity according to some aspects
of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication
signal with a cyclic prefix (CP) according to some aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a multiple-path
delay of a communication signal according to some aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process for determining a CP
length by a node during wireless communication according to some
aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless
communication method using a CP length selected with the assistance
of a subordinate entity according to some aspects of the present
disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating some factors for determining a CP
length according to some aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining
different CP lengths for different symbols according to some
aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a CP
length of a control channel based on various methods according to
some aspects of the present disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a
control channel CP length according to some aspects of the present
disclosure.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a CP
length at a subordinate entity according to some aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a tone
spacing for wireless communication according to some aspects of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a CP
length at a scheduling entity according to some aspects of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the
appended drawings is intended as a description of various
configurations and is not intended to represent the only
configurations in which the concepts described herein may be
practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for
the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various
concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that these concepts may be practiced without these specific
details. In some instances, well known structures and components
are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such
concepts.
In some aspects of the disclosure, a cyclic prefix (CP) length or
CP duration may be dynamically determined to increase communication
efficiency and/or reduce overhead. Aspects of the disclosure
provide various methods and apparatuses configured to dynamically
determine a CP length and/or tone spacing collaboratively between a
scheduling entity and a subordinate entity based on various factors
observed by the scheduling entity and/or subordinate entity.
The various concepts presented throughout this disclosure may be
implemented across a broad variety of telecommunication systems,
network architectures, and communication standards. Referring now
to FIG. 1, as an illustrative example without limitation, a
simplified schematic illustration of an access network 100 is
provided. The geographic region covered by the access network 100
may be divided into a number of cellular regions (cells), including
macrocells 102, 104, and 106, and a small cell 108, each of which
may include one or more sectors. Cells may be defined
geographically (e.g., by coverage area) and/or may be defined in
accordance with a frequency, scrambling code, etc. In a cell that
is divided into sectors, the multiple sectors within a cell can be
formed by groups of antennas with each antenna responsible for
communication with mobile devices in a portion of the cell.
In general, a radio transceiver apparatus serves each cell. A radio
transceiver apparatus is commonly referred to as a base station
(BS) in many wireless communication systems, but may also be
referred to by those skilled in the art as a base transceiver
station (BTS), a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a
transceiver function, a basic service set (BSS), an extended
service set (ESS), an access point (AP), a Node B, an eNode B, or
some other suitable terminology.
In FIG. 1, two high-power base stations 110 and 112 are shown in
cells 102 and 104; and a third high-power base station 114 is shown
controlling a remote radio head (RRH) 116 in cell 106. In this
example, the cells 102, 104, and 106 may be referred to as
macrocells, as the high-power base stations 110, 112, and 114
support cells having a large size. Further, a low-power base
station 118 is shown in the small cell 108 (e.g., a microcell,
picocell, femtocell, home base station, home Node B, home eNode B,
etc.) which may overlap with one or more macrocells. In this
example, the cell 108 may be referred to as a small cell, as the
low-power base station 118 supports a cell having a relatively
small size. Cell sizing can be done according to system design as
well as component constraints. It is to be understood that the
access network 100 may include any number of wireless base stations
and cells. The base stations 110, 112, 114, 118 provide wireless
access points to a core network for any number of mobile
apparatuses.
FIG. 1 further includes a quadcopter or drone 120, which may be
configured to function as a base station. That is, in some
examples, a cell may not necessarily be stationary, and the
geographic area of the cell may move according to the location of a
mobile base station such as the quadcopter 120. In some examples,
the base stations may be interconnected to one another and/or to
one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in the
access network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces
such as a direct physical connection, a virtual network, or the
like using any suitable transport network.
The access network 100 is illustrated supporting wireless
communication for multiple mobile apparatuses. A mobile apparatus
is commonly referred to as user equipment (UE) in standards and
specifications promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership
Project (3GPP), but may also be referred to by those skilled in the
art as a mobile station (MS), a subscriber station, a mobile unit,
a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device,
a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote
device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal (AT), a
mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset,
a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other
suitable terminology.
Within the present document, a "mobile" apparatus need not
necessarily have a capability to move, and may be stationary. Some
non-limiting examples of a mobile apparatus include a mobile, a
cellular (cell) phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol
(SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal computer (PC), a notebook, a
netbook, a smartbook, a tablet, and a personal digital assistant
(PDA). A mobile apparatus may additionally be an "Internet of
things" (IoT) device such as an automotive or other transportation
vehicle, a satellite radio, a global positioning system (GPS)
device, a logistics controller, a drone, a multi-copter, a
quad-copter, a smart energy or security device, a solar panel or
solar array, municipal lighting, water, or other infrastructure;
industrial automation and enterprise devices; consumer and wearable
devices, such as eyewear, a wearable camera, a smart watch, a
health or fitness tracker, a digital audio player (e.g., MP3
player), a camera, a game console, etc.; and digital home or smart
home devices such as a home audio, video, and multimedia device, an
appliance, a sensor, a vending machine, intelligent lighting, a
home security system, a smart meter, etc.
Within the access network 100, the cells may include UEs that may
be in communication with one or more sectors of each cell. For
example, UEs 122 and 124 may be in communication with base station
110; UEs 126 and 128 may be in communication with base station 112;
UEs 130 and 132 may be in communication with base station 114 by
way of RRH 116; UE 134 may be in communication with low-power base
station 118; and UE 136 may be in communication with mobile base
station 120. Here, each base station 110, 112, 114, 118, and 120
may be configured to provide an access point to a core network (not
shown) for all the UEs in the respective cells. In another example,
the quadcopter 120 may be configured to function as a UE. For
example, the quadcopter 120 may operate within cell 102 by
communicating with base station 110.
The air interface in the access network 100 may utilize one or more
multiplexing and multiple access algorithms to enable simultaneous
communication of the various devices. For example, multiple access
for uplink (UL) or reverse link transmissions from UEs 122 and 124
to base station 110 may be provided utilizing time division
multiple access (TDMA), sparse code multiple access (SMA), code
division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access
(FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or
other suitable multiple access schemes. Further, multiplexing
downlink (DL) or forward link transmissions from the base station
110 to UEs 122 and 124 may be provided utilizing time division
multiplexing (TDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), frequency
division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM), SMA, or other suitable multiplexing
schemes.
Within the access network 100, during a call with a scheduling
entity, or at any other time, a UE may monitor various parameters
of the signal from its serving cell as well as various parameters
of neighboring cells. Further, depending on the quality of these
parameters, the UE may maintain communication with one or more of
the neighboring cells. During this time, if the UE moves from one
cell to another, or if signal quality from a neighboring cell
exceeds that from the serving cell for a given amount of time, the
UE may undertake a handoff or handover from the serving cell to the
neighboring (target) cell. For example, UE 124 may move from the
geographic area corresponding to its serving cell 102 to the
geographic area corresponding to a neighbor cell 106. When the
signal strength or quality from the neighbor cell 106 exceeds that
of its serving cell 102 for a given amount of time, the UE 124 may
transmit a reporting message to its serving base station 110
indicating this condition. In response, the UE 124 may receive a
handover command, and the UE may undergo a handover to the cell
106.
In some examples, access to the air interface may be scheduled,
wherein a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station) allocates
resources for communication among some or all devices and equipment
within its service area or cell. Within the present disclosure, as
discussed further below, the scheduling entity may be responsible
for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources
for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled
communication, subordinate entities utilize resources allocated by
the scheduling entity.
Base stations are not the only entities that may function as a
scheduling entity. That is, in some examples, a UE may function as
a scheduling entity, scheduling resources for one or more
subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs). For example, UE
138 is illustrated communicating with UEs 140 and 142. In this
example, the UE 138 is functioning as a scheduling entity, and UEs
140 and 142 utilize resources scheduled by the UE 138 for wireless
communication. A UE may function as a scheduling entity in a
peer-to-peer (P2P) network, and/or in a mesh network. In a mesh
network example, UEs 140 and 142 may optionally communicate
directly with one another in addition to communicating with the
scheduling entity 138.
Thus, in a wireless communication network with a scheduled access
to time-frequency resources and having a cellular configuration, a
P2P configuration, and a mesh configuration, a scheduling entity
and one or more subordinate entities may communicate utilizing the
scheduled resources. Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram 200
illustrates a scheduling entity 202 and a plurality of subordinate
entities 204. Here, the scheduling entity 202 may correspond to the
base stations 110, 112, 114, and 118. In additional examples, the
scheduling entity 202 may correspond to the UE 138, the quadcopter
120, or any other suitable node in the access network 100.
Similarly, in various examples, the subordinate entity 204 may
correspond to the UE 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138,
140, and 142, or any other suitable node in the access network
100.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the scheduling entity 202 may broadcast
data 206 to one or more subordinate entities 204 (the data may be
referred to as downlink data). In accordance with certain aspects
of the present disclosure, the term downlink may refer to a
point-to-multipoint transmission originating at the scheduling
entity 202. Broadly, the scheduling entity 202 is a node or device
responsible for scheduling traffic in a wireless communication
network, including the downlink transmissions and, in some
examples, uplink data 210 from one or more subordinate entities to
the scheduling entity 202. Another way to describe the system may
be to use the term broadcast channel multiplexing. In accordance
with aspects of the present disclosure, the term uplink may refer
to a point-to-point transmission originating at a subordinate
entity 204. Broadly, the subordinate entity 204 is a node or device
that receives scheduling control information, including but not
limited to scheduling grants, synchronization or timing
information, or other control information from another entity in
the wireless communication network such as the scheduling entity
202.
The scheduling entity 202 may broadcast a control channel 208 to
one or more subordinate entities 204. Uplink data 210 and/or
downlink data 206 may be transmitted using a transmission time
interval (TTI). Here, a TTI may correspond to an encapsulated set
or packet of information capable of being independently decoded. In
various examples, TTIs may correspond to frames, subframes, data
blocks, time slots, or other suitable groupings of bits for
transmission.
Furthermore, the subordinate entities 204 may transmit uplink
control information 212 to the scheduling entity 202. Uplink
control information may include a variety of packet types and
categories, including pilots, reference signals, and information
configured to enable or assist in decoding uplink data
transmissions. In some examples, the control information 212 may
include a scheduling request (SR), i.e., request for the scheduling
entity 202 to schedule uplink transmissions. Here, in response to
the SR transmitted on the control channel 212, the scheduling
entity 202 may transmit in the downlink control channel 208
information that may schedule the TTI for uplink packets. In a
further example, the uplink control channel 212 may include hybrid
automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback transmissions, such as an
acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK). HARQ is a
technique well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art, wherein
packet transmissions may be checked at the receiving side for
accuracy, and if confirmed, an ACK may be transmitted, whereas if
not confirmed, a NACK may be transmitted. In response to a NACK,
the transmitting device may send a HARQ retransmission, which may
implement chase combining, incremental redundancy, etc. The
channels illustrated in FIG. 2 are not necessarily all of the
channels that may be utilized between a scheduling entity 202 and
subordinate entities 204, and those of ordinary skill in the art
will recognize that other channels may be utilized in addition to
those illustrated, such as other data, control, and feedback
channels.
In various aspects of the disclosure, any one or more of the
downlink data channels 206, downlink control channels 208, uplink
data channels 210, and/or uplink control channels 212 may be
transmitted utilizing OFDM. In this case, the transmission may
utilize a CP in its transmission symbols to help maintain
orthogonality between subcarriers and to help reduce inter-symbol
interference. In some aspects of the disclosure, the scheduling
entity 202 may transmit a dynamic indication or information
regarding CP length or CP duration to the subordinate entities 204.
The information may be transmitted using the downlink control
channel 208 or other channels. In some examples, the scheduling
entity 202 may indicate one or more recommended CP lengths to be
used for the communication between the scheduling entity 202 and
the subordinate entities 204. The same or different CP lengths may
be used for different subordinate entities 204. The subordinate
entity 204 may assist the scheduling entity 202 in selecting the CP
length. In some examples, the subordinate entity 204 may select one
or more CP lengths recommended by the scheduling entity 202. In
some examples, the subordinate entity 204 may recommend a CP length
that is different from the CP lengths provided by the scheduling
entity. In some examples, the subordinate entity 204 may not
receive any recommended CP lengths from the scheduling entity.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware
implementation for a scheduling entity 202 according to aspects of
the present disclosure. The scheduling entity 202 may employ a
processing system. For example, the scheduling entity 202 may be
implemented with a processing system 314 that includes one or more
processors 304. Examples of processors 304 include microprocessors,
microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices
(PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits,
and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various
functionality described throughout this disclosure. In various
examples, the scheduling entity 202 may be configured to perform
any one or more of the functions described herein. That is, the
processor 304, as utilized in the scheduling entity 202, may be
used to implement any one or more of the processes or methods
described herein, for example, in FIGS. 7-14.
In this example, the processing system 314 may be implemented with
a bus architecture, represented generally by the bus 302. The bus
302 may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges
depending on the specific application of the processing system 314
and the overall design constraints. The bus 302 communicatively
couples together various circuits including one or more processors
(represented generally by the processor 304), a memory 305, and
computer-readable media (represented generally by the
computer-readable medium 306). The bus 302 may also link various
other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage
regulators, and power management circuits. A bus interface 308
provides an interface between the bus 302 and a transceiver 310.
The transceiver 310 provides a communication interface or means for
communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission
medium. Depending upon the nature of the apparatus, a user
interface 312 (e.g., keypad, display, speaker, microphone,
joystick) may also be provided.
At least one processor 304 is responsible for managing the bus 302
and general processing, including the execution of software stored
on the computer-readable medium 306. The software, when executed by
the processor 304, causes the processing system 314 to perform the
various functions described below for any particular apparatus. The
computer-readable medium 306 and the memory 305 may also be used
for storing data that is manipulated by the processor 304 when
executing software. In some aspects of the disclosure, the
computer-readable medium 306 may include communication instructions
352. The communication instructions 352 may include instructions
for performing various operations related to wireless communication
(e.g., signal reception and/or signal transmission) as described
herein. In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer-readable
medium 306 may include processing instructions 354. The processing
instructions 354 may include instructions for performing various
operations related to signal processing (e.g., processing a
received signal and/or processing a signal for transmission) as
described herein.
At least one processor 304 may execute software. Software shall be
construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code,
code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software
modules, applications, software applications, software packages,
routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution,
procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software,
firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or
otherwise. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium
306. The computer-readable medium 306 may be a non-transitory
computer-readable medium. A non-transitory computer-readable medium
includes, by way of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard
disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., a
compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD)), a smart card,
a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, or a key drive), a
random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a
programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically
erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, a removable disk, and any other
suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that may
be accessed and read by a computer. The computer-readable medium
may also include, by way of example, a carrier wave, a transmission
line, and any other suitable medium for transmitting software
and/or instructions that may be accessed and read by a computer.
The computer-readable medium 306 may reside in the processing
system 314, external to the processing system 314, or distributed
across multiple entities including the processing system 314. The
computer-readable medium 306 may be embodied in a computer program
product. By way of example, a computer program product may include
a computer-readable medium in packaging materials. Those skilled in
the art will recognize how best to implement the described
functionality presented throughout this disclosure depending on the
particular application and the overall design constraints imposed
on the overall system.
In some aspects of the disclosure, at least one processor 304 may
include a communication circuit (not shown). The communication
circuit may include one or more hardware components that provide
the physical structure that performs various processes related to
wireless communication (e.g., signal reception and/or signal
transmission) as described herein. In some aspects of the
disclosure, the processor 304 may also include a processing
circuit. The processing circuit may include one or more hardware
components that provide the physical structure that performs
various processes related to signal processing (e.g., processing a
received signal and/or processing a signal for transmission) as
described herein.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor 304 may include a
CP length selection block 340, a CP length recommendation block
342, and a tone spacing block 344. The CP length selection block
340 may be configured to process and transmit a CP length proposal
to a subordinate entity via the transceiver 310. The CP length
proposal may include one or more CP lengths that may be used with a
signal to communicate with the subordinate entity as described in
relation to FIGS. 7-14. The CP length recommendation block 342 may
be configured to receive and process a recommended CP length
received from a subordinate entity. The recommended CP length may
include one or more CP lengths that may be the same or different
from those provided by the CP length proposal.
The tone spacing block 344 may be configured to transmit
information indicating one or more tone spacings (recommended tone
spacing) to a subordinate entity. The tone spacing block 344 may
also be configured to receive information indicating a recommended
tone spacing via the transceiver 310 from the subordinate entity.
Here, the subordinate entity may determine the recommended tone
spacing based on various factors as described in relation to FIG.
13. The tone spacing block 344 may also be configured to determine
a tone spacing of a signal for communication with the subordinate
entity. The determined tone spacing may be the same or different
from the tone spacing recommended by the subordinate entity.
The circuitry included in the processor 304 is provided as
non-limiting examples. Other means for carrying out the described
functions exists and is included within various aspects of the
present disclosure. In some aspects of the disclosure, the
computer-readable medium 306 may store computer-executable code
comprising instructions configured to perform various processes
described herein, for example, in relation to FIGS. 7-14. The
instructions included in the computer-readable medium 306 are
provided as non-limiting examples. Other instructions configured to
carry out the described functions exist and are included within
various aspects of the present disclosure.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer-readable medium 306
may store CP length code 352 and tone spacing code 354. The CP
length code 352, when executed, may configure the processor 304 to
perform the various processes and/or methods related to CP length
described in relation to FIGS. 7-14. The tone spacing code 354,
when executed, may configure the processor 304 to perform the
various processes and/or methods related to tone spacing described
in relation to FIG. 13.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware
implementation for a subordinate entity 204 according to aspects of
the present disclosure. The subordinate entity 204 may employ a
processing system. The subordinate entity 204 may be implemented
with a processing system 414 that includes one or more processors
404. Examples of processors 404 include microprocessors,
microcontrollers, DSPs, FPGAs, PLDs, state machines, gated logic,
discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured
to perform the various functionality described throughout this
disclosure. In various examples, subordinate entity 204 may be
configured to perform any one or more of the functions described
herein. That is, the processor 404, as utilized in subordinate
entity 204, may be used to implement any one or more of the
processes described herein, for example, in FIGS. 7-14.
In this example, the processing system 414 may be implemented with
a bus architecture, represented generally by the bus 402. The bus
402 may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges
depending on the specific application of the processing system 414
and the overall design constraints. The bus 402 communicatively
couples together various circuits including one or more processors
(represented generally by the processor 404), a memory 405, and
computer-readable media (represented generally by the
computer-readable medium 406). The bus 402 may also link various
other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage
regulators, and power management circuits. A bus interface 408
provides an interface between the bus 402 and a transceiver 410.
The transceiver 410 provides a communication interface or means for
communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission
medium. Depending upon the nature of the apparatus, a user
interface 412 (e.g., keypad, display, speaker, microphone,
joystick) may also be provided.
At least one processor 404 is responsible for managing the bus 402
and general processing, including the execution of software stored
on the computer-readable medium 406. The software, when executed by
the processor 404, causes the processing system 414 to perform the
various functions described below for any particular apparatus. The
computer-readable medium 406 and the memory 405 may also be used
for storing data that is manipulated by the processor 404 when
executing software. In some aspects of the disclosure, the
computer-readable medium 406 may include communication instructions
452. The communication instructions 452 may include instructions
for performing various operations related to wireless communication
(e.g., signal reception and/or signal transmission) as described
herein. In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer-readable
medium 406 may include processing instructions 454. The processing
instructions 454 may include instructions for performing various
operations related to signal processing (e.g., processing a
received signal and/or processing a signal for transmission) as
described herein.
At least one processor 404 may execute software. Software shall be
construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code,
code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software
modules, applications, software applications, software packages,
routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution,
procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software,
firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or
otherwise. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium
406. The computer-readable medium 406 may be a non-transitory
computer-readable medium. A non-transitory computer-readable medium
includes, by way of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard
disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., a CD or
a DVD), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick,
or a key drive), a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a
register, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for
storing software and/or instructions that may be accessed and read
by a computer. The computer-readable medium may also include, by
way of example, a carrier wave, a transmission line, and any other
suitable medium for transmitting software and/or instructions that
may be accessed and read by a computer. The computer-readable
medium 406 may reside in the processing system 414, external to the
processing system 414, or distributed across multiple entities
including the processing system 414. The computer-readable medium
406 may be embodied in a computer program product. By way of
example, a computer program product may include a computer-readable
medium in packaging materials. Those skilled in the art will
recognize how best to implement the described functionality
presented throughout this disclosure depending on the particular
application and the overall design constraints imposed on the
overall system.
In some aspects of the disclosure, at least one processor 404 may
include a communication circuit. The communication circuit may
include one or more hardware components that provide the physical
structure that performs various processes related to wireless
communication (e.g., signal reception and/or signal transmission)
as described herein. In some aspects of the disclosure, the
processor 404 may also include a processing circuit. The processing
circuit may include one or more hardware components that provide
the physical structure that performs various processes related to
signal processing (e.g., processing a received signal and/or
processing a signal for transmission) as described herein. The
circuitry included in the processor 404 is provided as non-limiting
examples. Other means for carrying out the described functions
exists and is included within various aspects of the present
disclosure.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor 404 may include a
CP length selection block 440, a CP length recommendation block
442, and a tone spacing block 444. The CP length selection block
440 may be configured to receive and process a CP length proposal
that may be received from a cell or scheduling entity via the
transceiver 410. The CP length proposal may include one or more CP
lengths that may be used with a signal to communicate with the
scheduling entity as described in relation to FIGS. 7-14. The CP
length recommendation block 442 may be configured to determine or
select a recommended CP length based on the CP length proposal and
various factors as described in relation to FIGS. 7-14. The
recommended CP length may include one or more CP lengths that may
be the same or different from those provided by the CP length
proposal.
The tone spacing block 444 may be configured to determine a tone
spacing (a recommended tone spacing) based on a dynamic indication
from a scheduling entity or cell. The dynamic indication may
include a plurality of tone spacings. The tone spacing block 444
may be configured to determine the recommended tone spacing based
on various factors as described in relation to FIG. 13.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer-readable medium 406
may store computer-executable code comprising instructions
configured to perform various processes described herein, for
example, in FIGS. 7-14. The instructions included in the
computer-readable medium 406 are provided as non-limiting examples.
Other instructions configured to carry out the described functions
exist and are included within various aspects of the present
disclosure.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the computer-readable medium 406
may store CP length code 452 and tone spacing code 454. The CP
length code 452, when executed, may configure the processor 404 to
perform the various processes and/or methods related to CP length
described in relation to FIGS. 7-14. The tone spacing code 354,
when executed, may configure the processor 404 to perform the
various processes and/or methods related to tone spacing described
in relation to FIG. 13.
The subordinate entity 204 may be interchangeably referred to as a
"node," "apparatus," and/or "UE" (which are described in greater
detail herein) without necessarily deviating from the scope of the
present disclosure. To conserve power, some UEs may be in a sleep
state (e.g., relatively low-power state or no-power state) during
certain periods of time and only periodically in an awake state
(e.g., relatively high-power state). During the awake states, the
UEs may transmit various frames. Some frames may be discovery
frames, and some frames may be non-discovery frames. The discovery
frames may occur during discovery periods that are separated in
time by a particular duration.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a communication signal
500 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. The signal
500 illustrated in FIG. 5 shows that each symbol may have a cyclic
prefix (CP). In one aspect of the disclosure, a CP refers to a
repeated portion of the symbol that precedes that symbol. In other
words, a symbol is preceded by a CP, and that CP repeats a portion
(e.g., an end portion) of that symbol. For example, as illustrated
in FIG. 5, CP.sub.1 502 repeats the end portion of Symbol.sub.1
504. Typically, the CP is discarded by the receiver (e.g.,
subordinate entity 204); however, the CP may have various purposes
or functions. One of many purposes of the CP is to function as a
guard interval for mitigating inter-symbol interference (ISI) from
multipath communication for example due to delay spread. For
example, CP.sub.2 506 may mitigate interference between
Symbol.sub.1 504 and Symbol.sub.2 508. FIG. 6 is a diagram
illustrating two multipath transmissions 602 and 604 of the same
transmitted symbols. Due to delay spread, for example, the symbols
of the two transmissions are offset in time. For example, the CP
606 may act as a buffer region such that the receiver can exclude
the samples from the CP that were corrupted by the previous symbol
when choosing the samples for a symbol.
The CP may have various lengths without deviating from the scope of
the present disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will
understand that any reference herein to `length may also refer to
related aspects such as duration, time, period, bits, and/or
various other suitable aspects without necessarily deviating from
the scope of the present disclosure. As such, any reference herein
to `CP length` may also refer to CP overhead, CP duration, CP time,
CP period, CP bits, and/or various other suitable aspects without
necessarily deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
The selection of the length of a CP is an important consideration
in an OFDM network. If the CP length is too small, it may not
suitably compensate for multipath. On the other hand, if the CP
length is too long, it wastes bandwidth. In Long-Term Evolution
(LTE), a cell (e.g., base station(s) 110, 112) may implement a
`normal` CP length (e.g., 4.7 microsecond (.mu.s)) or an `extended`
CP length (e.g., 16.7 .mu.s) for a physical DL shared channel
(PDSCH). Put another way, the cell may indicate to the UEs (e.g.,
UE(s) 122, 124, 126, 128, 134) in the coverage area of that cell
(e.g., base station(s) 110, 112) to use a CP length of 4.7 .mu.s or
a CP length of 16.7 .mu.s for certain communications. When
multipath communication has relatively shorter multipath delays,
the cell may implement relatively shorter CP lengths (e.g., 4.7
.mu.s). When multipath communication has relatively longer
multipath delays, the cell may implement relatively longer CP
lengths (e.g., 16.7 .mu.s).
Notably, the CP length T.sub.CP contributes to communication
overhead. For example, the duration of a symbol
T.sub.symbol+T.sub.CP may be approximately 71 .mu.s when using a
`normal` CP length of 4.7 which is approximately 7% of the duration
of that symbol. In comparison, the duration of the symbol
T.sub.symbol+T.sub.CP may be approximately 83 .mu.s when using an
`extended` CP length of 16.7 which is approximately 20% of the
duration of that symbol. Because the CP length contributes to
overhead, the CP length affects throughput. As mentioned above, the
CP is typically discarded at the receiver (e.g., subordinate entity
204). Accordingly, any portion of the symbol not utilized for the
CP length is utilized for carrying (un-discarded) information.
On the one hand, a CP length that is needlessly too long may
adversely affect system performance by unnecessarily increasing
overhead and thereby reducing throughput. On the other hand, a CP
length that is too short may adversely affect system performance by
resulting in unacceptable ISI and avoidable retransmissions.
Additionally, communication conditions (e.g., multipath delay) may
vary among UEs in the coverage area of a particular cell. For
instance, a relatively shorter CP length may be appropriate for one
UE while a relatively longer CP length may be appropriate for
another UE. Accordingly, in some circumstances, a determination of
the CP length based on various indications and/or factors may
enable the cell and UE to communicate using a CP length that
dynamically balances considerations of ISI and
overhead/throughput.
In LTE, the UE or subordinate entity may receive an indication of a
single CP length (e.g., a `normal` CP length (e.g., 4.7 .mu.s) or
an `extended` CP length (e.g., 16.7 .mu.s)), and the UE utilizes
that single CP length for wireless communication in a cell. In LTE,
however, even if communication conditions vary (e.g., ISI increases
or decreases due to varying conditions of multipath communication),
the UE is bound to utilize the CP length indicated by the cell
(e.g., eNB), even though an alternative CP length may either (i)
provide reduced overhead and increased throughput (e.g., when
conditions of the multipath communication are relatively good) or
(ii) increase protection from ISI (e.g., when conditions of the
multipath communication are relatively poor).
However, unlike LTE, aspects of the present disclosure provide for
a CP length recommendation or proposal (e.g., dynamic indication)
that enables the UE to determine a CP length from a plurality of CP
lengths (e.g., a plurality of preselected or otherwise
predetermined CP lengths), which may in some configurations be
received from the scheduling entity 202, such as a base station,
cell, and/or other suitable network entity. By enabling the UE to
assist, select, and/or determine the CP length from a plurality of
CP lengths, the UE may determine a CP length based on various
factors, conditions, parameters, and other suitable aspects, which
are described in greater detail below.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process 700 for determining a CP
length by a node during wireless communication according to some
aspects of the present disclosure. In some configurations, the
process 700 may be performed and/or implemented in the scheduling
entity 202, subordinate entity 204, and/or any one or more of the
various devices described in detail herein, for example, in
relation to FIGS. 1-4.
At block 702, a node determines at least one of a CP length or a
tone spacing for a signal for a communication link based on a
dynamic indication. The CP length is determined from a plurality of
CP lengths, and the tone spacing is determined from a plurality of
tone spacings. In one example, the node may utilize the CP length
selection block 340 (see FIG. 3) or CP length selection block 440
(see FIG. 4) to determine the CP length. In one example, the node
may utilize the tone spacing block 334 (see FIG. 3) or tone spacing
block 444 (see FIG. 4) to determine the tone spacing. At block 704,
the node communicates the signal utilizing the determined at least
one of the CP length or the tone spacing. In one example, the node
may utilize the communication interface 310 or 410 to communicate
the signal. Exemplary implementations of the process 700 will be
described below in relation to FIGS. 8-16.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example of various methods
and/or processes 800 for determining a CP length during wireless
communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure.
In some configurations, such methods and/or processes may be
performed and/or implemented in the subordinate entity 204 and/or
any one or more of the various UEs described in greater detail
herein. Although the description provided below with reference to
FIG. 8 makes reference to a UE, one of ordinary skill in the art
will understand that such methods and/or processes may be performed
and/or implemented in various apparatuses and in various
arrangements, sequences, and/or orders without necessarily
deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. One of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate that any aspect(s) of the methods
and/or processes described with reference to FIG. 8 may be included
in, added to, substituted for, or incorporated into, and/or
otherwise used to modify any aspect(s) of the methods and/or
processed described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9-16 without
necessarily deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
At block 802, the UE may receive information including a CP length
proposal from a scheduling entity 202. In some examples, the UE may
utilize a CP length selection block 440 (see FIG. 4) to receive a
CP length proposal from the scheduling entity 202, such as a base
station, cell, and/or other suitable network entity. In some
aspects of the disclosure, the CP length proposal may include a
plurality of CP lengths (e.g., two or more CP lengths) that may be
used with a signal to communicate with the scheduling entity. The
CP length proposal may be a dynamic indication in the sense that
the scheduling entity may provide different CP length proposal in
different conditions and time intervals. For example, the CP length
proposal may be controlled or updated per TTI, UE, transmission,
cell, symbol, or other criteria.
At block 804, the UE may determine a recommended CP length for a
communication link based on the CP length proposal and a
predetermined condition. For example, the UE may utilize a CP
length recommendation block 442 (see FIG. 4) to determine the
recommended CP length. The UE may select the recommended CP length
from the plurality of CP lengths included in the CP length proposal
based on, for example, at least one of a modulation and coding
scheme (MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service type, a communication
link direction, a rank number, a type or a capability of the
subordinate entity, or a number of subordinate entities scheduled
in a same TTI. In other aspects of the disclosure, other
predetermined condition(s) may be considered. In some examples, the
UE may not receive a CP length proposal from the scheduling entity,
and/or may determine a recommended CP length that is different from
those provided by the CP length proposal. In some aspects of the
disclosure, the UE may receive a restricted set of CP lengths
(e.g., included in the CP length proposal) that includes a subset
of CP lengths that the scheduling entity may utilize to communicate
with UEs or subordinate entities in a cell or network. The
scheduling entity may send different sets of CP lengths or
recommended CP lengths to different subordinate entities.
At block 806, the UE may transmit the recommended CP length to the
scheduling entity. For example, the UE may utilize a CP length
recommendation block 342 and/or a transceiver 410 (see FIG. 4) to
transmit the recommended CP length to the scheduling entity 202 in
UL control information 212 (see FIG. 2) or other suitable methods.
In response, the scheduling entity may schedule the UE to use the
recommended CP length. For example, the scheduling entity may
signal the CP length in downlink control channel 208 (see FIG. 2)
or other suitable methods. At block 808, the UE may communicate
with the scheduling entity via a transceiver 410 utilizing a signal
with the recommended CP length. For example, the signal may be
downlink data, uplink data, sidelink data, and/or other
communication signals.
For example, referring to FIG. 5, the UE may determine the duration
of T.sub.CP of CP.sub.1 502 of Symbol.sub.1 504. Such aspects of
the present disclosure vary from aspects of other systems, such as
those in LTE. In some configurations, the term(s) `communicate,`
`communicating,` and/or `communication` may refer to `receive,`
`receiving,` `reception,` and/or other related or suitable aspects
without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure. In some configurations, the term(s) `communicate,`
`communicating,` `communication,` may refer to `transmit,`
`transmitting,` `transmission,` and/or other related or suitable
aspects without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure.
The present disclosure describes many aspects related to a
plurality of CP lengths or CP length proposal provided by a
scheduling entity. In some configurations, the plurality of CP
lengths may be determined by configurations that differ from
configurations that configure a plurality of CP lengths for another
UE. For example, the plurality of CP lengths may be set for one UE
by configurations that are unique or individual to that particular
UE. In some configurations, the plurality of CP lengths are
configured using cell-specific signaling that is the same as
cell-specific signaling used to configure a plurality of CP lengths
for another UE. Generally, cell-specific signaling may refer to a
set of one or more signals exchanged between a scheduling entity
202 (e.g., base station, cell, and/or other suitable network
entity) and a subordinate entity 204 (e.g., UE) for establishing or
otherwise determining one or more parameters, settings, and/or
configurations associated with the CP length used for communicating
a signal or symbols. For example, two UEs in the coverage area of a
single cell may receive their respective configurations via the
same cell-specific signaling. In some configurations that involve
semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), such signaling may include or be
associated with radio resource control (RRC) messages. Accordingly,
in some configurations, the plurality of CP lengths may be
configured by RRC. In some configurations, the plurality of CP
lengths include a plurality of sets of CP lengths. Each of the sets
of CP lengths may be associated with one or more factors.
Non-limiting examples of such factors include a modulation and
coding scheme (MCS), subcarrier spacing, service type,
communication link direction, rank number, type or capability of
the node (e.g., UE, subordinate entity), and/or number of nodes
scheduled in the same TTI. Additional description related to such
factors is provided further below (e.g., with reference to block
804).
In some configurations, at block 804, the UE may determine the CP
length based on one or more factors (e.g., a predetermined
condition). Such factors may affect the tolerance of the UE for
aggressive CP management. In some circumstances, the UE may
tolerate relatively more aggressive CP management, meaning that the
UE may tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths. In some other
circumstances, the UE may tolerate relatively less aggressive CP
management, meaning that the UE may need relatively longer CP
lengths. Various non-limiting examples of such factors are
described in greater details below. One of ordinary skill in the
art will understand that any one or more of these factors may be
utilized to determine the CP length without necessarily deviating
from the scope of the present disclosure.
Some factors for determining the CP length are illustrated in FIG.
9. These exemplary factors illustrated in FIG. 9 may be utilized by
a subordinate entity or UE in block 804 to determine the
recommended CP length. One example of such a factor is the MCS.
Generally, the UE may tolerate relatively more aggressive CP
management for relatively lower MCS and relatively less aggressive
CP management for relatively higher MCS. For instance, the UE may
tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths for relatively lower MCS,
but the UE may need relatively longer CP lengths for relatively
higher MCS. Accordingly, in some configurations, at block 902, the
UE may determine the recommended CP length further based on the
MCS.
Another example of such a factor is subcarrier spacing. Generally,
the UE may tolerate relatively more aggressive CP management for
certain subcarrier spacings and relatively less aggressive CP
management for other subcarrier spacings. For example, the UE may
tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths for relatively longer
subcarrier spacings, but the UE may need relatively longer CP
lengths for relatively shorter subcarrier spacings. Accordingly, in
some configurations, at block 904, the UE may determine the CP
length further based on subcarrier spacing.
Yet another example of such a factor is service type. Non-limiting
examples of service type include multimedia broadcast multicast
service (MBMS), unicast, and various other suitable types of
service. The UE may tolerate relatively more aggressive CP
management for some service types and relatively less aggressive CP
management for some other service types. For example, the UE may
tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths for unicast service, but the
UE may need relatively longer CP lengths for MBMS service and/or
groupcast service. Accordingly, in some configurations, at block
906, the UE may determine the CP length further based on the
service type.
A further example of such a factor is the direction of the
communication link. For instance, the communication link direction
may be UL, DL, or sidelink. Sidelink may refer to communications
between various UEs or P2P communications. Generally, the UE may
tolerate relatively more aggressive CP management for certain
communication link directions and relatively less aggressive CP
management for other communication link directions. For example,
the UE may tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths for certain
communication link directions, but the UE may need relatively
longer CP lengths for other communication link directions. As an
example, CP management may consider different number of cells
involved in DL operation and in UL operation for a UE. For
instance, two cells may be involved in DL operation for a UE (e.g.,
joint transmission), while only one cell is involved in UL serving
the UE. In this case, different CP lengths may be used for the DL
and UL, respectively. Accordingly, in some configurations, at block
908, the UE may determine the CP length further based on the
direction of the communication link.
An additional example of such a factor is rank number. For
instance, the UE may tolerate relatively more aggressive CP
management for a rank 1 transmission and relatively less aggressive
CP management for a rank 2 or higher rank transmission. A rank may
refer to the number of antennas or streams utilized for the
communication link. That is, the UE may tolerate relatively shorter
CP lengths for a lower rank (e.g., rank 1) transmission, but the UE
may need relatively longer CP lengths for a higher rank (e.g., rank
2) transmission. Accordingly, in some configurations, at block 910,
the UE may determine the CP length further based on the rank number
of the communication link.
Another example of such a factor is the type or capability of the
UE. For instance, the UE may be an Internet-of-Things (IoT)
apparatus or a non-IoT apparatus. The UE may tolerate relatively
more aggressive CP management if it is of a particular type or has
a particular capability, and relatively less aggressive CP
management if it is of another type or has another capability. For
instance, the UE may tolerate relatively shorter CP lengths if it
is of a particular type or has a particular capability, but the UE
may need relatively longer CP lengths if it is of another type or
has another capability. Accordingly, in some configurations, at
block 912, the UE may determine the CP length further based on the
type or capability of the UE. As an example, a low cost or coverage
extension UEs (e.g., IoT devices) may be associated with a longer
CP for simpler implementation, while a smart-phone UE may have more
processing power and consequently can be associated with a shorter
CP. A device with more processing power may be able to handle ISI
even with a shorter CP.
Yet another example of such a factor is the number of UEs scheduled
in the same TTI. If no other UEs are scheduled in that same TTI,
the CP length may be optimized for the one UE using that TTI
(without considering the other UEs). If, however, other UEs are
scheduled in that same TTI, the CP length may be optimized for a
group of UEs using that TTI. The tolerance of any particular UE
with respect to CP management (e.g., CP length) may be affected by
the number of other UEs using the same TTI. Accordingly, in some
configurations, at block 914, the UE may determine the CP length
further based on the number of UEs scheduled in the same TTI. For
example, the CP length may be determined so as to mitigate or avoid
ISI of the UEs scheduled in the same TTI.
In one example, when an MCS index is at or below a threshold, a
longer CP is used; otherwise, a shorter CP is used. As another
example, when a subcarrier spacing is at first predetermined value
(e.g., 15 kHz), either a longer CP or a shorter CP is used (e.g.,
depending on an MCS index). However, when a subcarrier spacing is
at a second predetermined value (e.g., 30 kHz) that is higher than
the first value, a shorter CP is used for all MCS indices. In one
example, a shorter CP may be used for all MIMO transmissions of two
or more layers.
In one example, an Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications
(URLLC) service may be associated with a shorter CP as compared
with an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) service. In one example, a
higher speed UE may be associated with a longer CP than a low
mobility or stationary UE. In one example, a longer CP may be used
for DL when two or more cells are involved in a single frequency
network (SFN) or a Cooperative Multi-Point (CoMP) operation, while
a shorter CP may be used for UL when only a single cell is serving
the UE in the UL. In one example, a low-cost or
coverage-enhancement UE may use a longer CP as compared with a
shorter CP used by a smart-phone UE with relatively more processing
power. In one example, when two or more UEs are scheduled in a same
subframe, a CP may be chosen to suit the combined need (e.g., ISI
mitigation) of the two or more UEs, especially considering the
potential mutual interference if different CPs were used for the
UEs.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a process 1000 for determining
different CP lengths for different symbols according to some
aspects of the present disclosure. In some configurations, such
methods and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented in the
subordinate entity 204 and/or any one or more of the various UEs
described in greater detail herein. Although the description
provided below with reference to FIG. 10 makes reference to a UE,
one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such methods
and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented in various
apparatuses and in various arrangements, sequences, and/or orders
without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
any aspect(s) of the methods and/or processes described with
reference FIG. 10 may be included in, added to, substituted for, or
incorporated into, and/or otherwise used to modify any aspect(s) of
the methods and/or processed described with reference to FIGS. 7-9
and 11-15 without necessarily deviating from the scope of the
present disclosure.
In one example, the method of FIG. 10 may be performed by a
subordinate entity 204 (e.g., UE) at block 804 of FIG. 8. At block
1002, the UE may determine a recommended CP length for a
communication link based on a CP length proposal and a
predetermined condition, and the UE may determine a particular CP
length from a plurality of CP lengths included in the CP length
proposal. (Additional description related to block 1002 is provided
above with reference to block 804 in FIG. 8 and therefore will not
be repeated to avoid redundancy.)
In some configurations, the UE may determine different CP lengths
for different symbols, for example, in the same TTI. The UE may
determine different CP lengths for different symbols for various
reasons. In some circumstances, the UE may determine different CP
lengths for different symbols due to different needs of
multiplexing with other UEs. In some examples, the CP length
proposal (e.g., a dynamic indication) described above with
reference to block 1002 may include a dynamic indication (to the
UE) about the specific CP lengths for specific symbols.
In such configurations, at block 1004, the UE may determine a first
CP length for a first symbol of a plurality of symbols and, at
block 1006, determine a second CP length, different from the first
CP length, for a second symbol of the plurality of symbols. For
example, referring to FIG. 5, the UE may determine a particular CP
length for CP.sub.1 of Symbol.sub.1 and determine a different CP
length for CP.sub.2 of Symbol.sub.2. The symbols may be in the same
TTI or different TTIs.
One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that FIG. 5
provides a conceptual diagram for illustrative purposes without
necessarily being to scale or necessarily showing the exact or
relative lengths or durations of the CPs and/or symbols. In other
words, the CPs and/or symbols may have various lengths or
durations, even if varying from those shown in FIG. 5, without
necessarily deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
After determining the CP length (recommended CP length), the UE may
communicate with the scheduling entity utilizing a signal using the
determined CP length as described above at blocks 806 and 808.
(Additional description related to blocks 806 and 808 is provided
above with reference to FIG. 8 and therefore will not be repeated
to avoid redundancy.)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a CP
length of a control channel based on various methods 1100 according
to some aspects of the present disclosure. In some configurations,
such methods and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented
in the subordinate entity 204 and/or any one or more of the various
UEs described in greater detail herein. Although the description
provided below with reference to FIG. 11 makes reference to a UE,
one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such methods
and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented in various
apparatuses and in various arrangements, sequences, and/or orders
without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
any aspect(s) of the methods and/or processes described with
reference FIG. 11 may be included in, added to, substituted for, or
incorporated into, and/or otherwise used to modify any aspect(s) of
the methods and/or processed described with reference to FIGS. 7-10
and 12-15 without necessarily deviating from the scope of the
present disclosure.
In one example, the method of FIG. 11 may be performed by a
subordinate entity 204 (e.g., UE) at block 804 of FIG. 8. At block
1102, the UE may determine a recommended CP length for a
communication link based on a CP length proposal (e.g., a dynamic
indication) and a predetermined condition, and the UE may determine
a particular CP length (recommended CP length) from a plurality of
CP lengths included in the CP length proposal. (Additional
description related to block 1102 is provided above with reference
to block 804 in FIG. 8 and therefore will not be repeated to avoid
redundancy.) After determining the CP length, the UE may
communicate with the scheduling entity utilizing a signal with that
determined CP length as described above at blocks 806 and 808.
(Additional description related to blocks 806 and 808 is provided
above with reference to FIG. 8 and therefore will not be repeated
to avoid redundancy.)
In some configurations, the above-described signal is communicated
on a data channel (e.g., DL data 206 or UL data 210 of FIG. 2). In
such configurations, the UE may determine the CP length for a
control channel (e.g., DL control 208 or UL control 212 of FIG. 2)
associated with that data channel The determination of the CP
length for that control channel may be based on a semi-static
indication at block 1104, a static indication at block 1106, and/or
a hardcoded value at block 1108.
As an example, a semi-static indication may be based on a
higher-layer configuration for a UE or a system information
broadcast for a UE. A static indication may be via an association
with a UE category. A hard-coded value may be in the form of a
value in an equation, in a table, or any other format.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a method 1200 for determining a
control channel CP length according to some aspects of the present
disclosure. In some configurations, such method may be performed
and/or implemented in the subordinate entity 204, scheduling entity
202, and/or any one or more of the various apparatuses described in
greater detail herein. In some examples, at block 1202, the
determination may be based on a fixed CP length or a static
indication if the control channel is time-division multiplexed
(TDM) with data. For example, the symbols of the control channel
may be fixed to the same CP length. In some examples, at block
1204, the determination may be based on two or more CP lengths or a
semi-static indication if the control channel is frequency-division
multiplexed (FDM) with data. In such examples, the UE may perform
blind decodes to determine which CP length is in use for a control
transmission. To facilitate a single fast Fourier transform (FFT)
operation, the total symbol length for control with a first CP
length and the total symbol length for data with a second CP length
can be the same.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary process 1300 for
determining a CP length according to some aspects of the present
disclosure. In some configurations, such methods and/or processes
may be performed and/or implemented in the subordinate entity 204
and/or any one or more of the various UEs described in greater
detail herein. Although the description provided below with
reference to FIG. 13 makes reference to a UE, one of ordinary skill
in the art will understand that such methods and/or processes may
be performed and/or implemented in various apparatuses and in
various arrangements, sequences, and/or orders without necessarily
deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. One of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate that any aspect(s) of the methods
and/or processes described with reference FIG. 13 may be included
in, added to, substituted for, or incorporated into, and/or
otherwise used to modify any aspect(s) of the methods and/or
processed described with reference to FIGS. 7-12 and 14-15 without
necessarily deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
The UE may, at block 1308, determine a CP length for a signal for a
communication link (as described in greater detail above with
reference to block 804 in FIG. 8) and, at block 1310, may
communicate the signal using the determined CP length (as described
in greater detail above with reference to block 808 in FIG. 8).
However, the UE may also perform some additional methods and/or
processes before those of blocks 1308, 1310. Non-limiting examples
of configurations enabling such additional methods and/or processes
before those of blocks 1308, 1310 are provided below.
In some configurations, at block 1302, the UE may receive
information that includes a restricted set of CP lengths. For
example, the UE may receive a list of four possible choices for the
CP length. At block 1304, the UE may report one or more CP lengths
(recommended CP lengths) based on the restricted set of CP lengths.
For example, the UE may report a list of two possible choices
(selected from that received list of four possible choices) of CP
lengths back to the cell. For example, the UE may receive a finite
list of different CP lengths from the cell or scheduling entity,
and that finite list of different CP lengths may provide various
options of CP lengths that the UE can use to communicate a signal.
In response to receiving such information, the UE may provide
feedback to the cell by reporting back a subset (e.g., a sub-list,
a smaller list, etc.) of different CP lengths that the UE may
prefer to use based on various factors (e.g., such as any one or
more of the factors described in greater detail above). In response
to receiving such reported information from the UE, the cell may
select a particular CP length for communications with the UE.
In some other configurations, at block 1306, the UE may report a
recommendation for one or more CP lengths (or recommended CP
lengths). For example, the UE may recommend a particular CP length
(or a particular list of CP lengths) based on one or more factors
(such as any one or more of the factors described in greater detail
above). In response to receiving such reported information from the
UE, the cell may select a particular CP length for communications
with the UE.
The two non-limiting examples of configurations described above
enable aspects that vary from those of existing systems, such as
LTE. Unlike in LTE, such configurations of the present disclosure
enable the UE to provide input, feedback, impact, and/or influence
with respect to CP management (e.g., selection of the appropriate
CP length). Even though the cell or scheduling entity may perform
the actual selection of the specific CP length, the cell can make
such a selection in view of information (e.g., recommended CP
length(s)) provided by the UE. By doing so, there is at least some
increase in the likelihood of selecting an optimal CP length.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary process 1400 for
determining a tone spacing for wireless communication according to
some aspects of the present disclosure. In some configurations,
such methods and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented
in the subordinate entity 204 and/or any one or more of the various
UEs described in greater detail herein. Although the description
provided below with reference to FIG. 14 makes reference to a UE,
one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such methods
and/or processes may be performed and/or implemented in various
apparatuses and in various arrangements, sequences, and/or orders
without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
any aspect(s) of the methods and/or processes described with
reference FIG. 14 may be included in, added to, substituted for, or
incorporated into, and/or otherwise used to modify any aspect(s) of
the methods and/or processed described with reference to FIGS. 7-13
and 15 without necessarily deviating from the scope of the present
disclosure.
In some configurations, at block 1402, the UE may utilize a tone
spacing block 444 to report a recommendation of one or more tone
spacings (recommended tone spacings). For example, the UE may
provide at least some information to the cell or scheduling entity
about a particular set (or a particular list) of spacings between
tones (e.g., OFDM tones). At block 1404, the UE may utilize a CP
length recommendation block 442 to determine the CP length for a
signal for a communication link (as described in greater detail
above with reference to block 804 of FIG. 8). In some
configurations, at block 1406, the UE may utilize the tone spacing
block 444 to determine a tone spacing based on a dynamic indication
and a plurality of tone spacings. In some configurations, the UE
may receive the dynamic indication and/or plurality of tone
spacings from the scheduling entity 202, such as a base station,
cell, and/or other suitable network entity. In some configurations,
the dynamic indication may include a list of a plurality of tone
spacings, based on which the UE may select or recommend the tone
spacing to use for the communication.
In some configurations, at block 1408, the UE may utilize the tone
spacing block 444 to determine the tone spacing further based on
one or more factors. Non-limiting examples of such factors include
MCS, subcarrier spacing, service type, communication link
direction, rank number, type or capability of the UE, and/or number
of UEs scheduled in the same TTI. Additional description pertaining
to such factors is provided above (e.g., with reference to FIG. 9)
and therefore will not be repeated).
As an example, a UE using a low latency service may use a larger
tone spacing, which results in a shorter time duration, in order to
benefit from a reduction in transmission time and hence reduced
over-the-air latency. A low-cost or a coverage-extension UE may use
a smaller tone spacing, which results in a longer time duration, in
order to help improve coverage.
After the tone spacing has been determined, the UE may communicate
the signal using the determined CP length and tone spacing. In some
configurations, the term(s) `communicate,` `communicating,` and/or
`communication` may refer to `receive,` `receiving,` `reception,`
and/or other related or suitable aspects without necessarily
deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. In some
configurations, the term(s) `communicate,` `communicating,`
`communication,` may refer to `transmit,` `transmitting,`
`transmission,` and/or other related or suitable aspects without
necessarily deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.
Although the examples described herein (e.g., with reference to
FIGS. 7-15) may describe certain features, operations, processes,
methods, and/or aspects from the perspective of a subordinate
entity 204 (e.g., UE), one of ordinary skill in the art will
understand that corresponding features, operations, processes,
methods, and/or aspects from the perspective of the scheduling
entity 202 (e.g., base station, cell, and/or other network entity)
are readily ascertainable and understood from the present
disclosure and, therefore, would not deviate from the scope of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 15 is a diagram 1500 illustrating an example of various
methods and/or processes for determining a CP length during
wireless communication according to some aspects of the present
disclosure. In some configurations, such methods and/or processes
may be performed and/or implemented in the scheduling entity 202
and/or any one or more of the various apparatuses described in
greater detail herein.
At block 1502, the scheduling entity may transmit a CP length
proposal to a subordinate entity 204. In some examples, the
scheduling entity may utilize a CP length selection block 340 (FIG.
3) to transmit the CP length proposal to the subordinate entity
204, a UE, and/or other suitable network entity. In some aspects of
the disclosure, the CP length proposal may include a plurality of
CP lengths (e.g., two or more CP lengths) that may be used with a
signal to communicate with the subordinate entity. The CP length
proposal may be a dynamic indication in the sense that the
scheduling entity may provide different CP length proposal in
different conditions and time intervals. For example, the CP length
proposal may be controlled or updated per TTI, UE, transmission,
cell, symbol, or other criteria.
The scheduling entity may determine the CP length proposal (e.g., a
plurality of CP lengths) based on, for example, at least one of a
modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a subcarrier spacing, a service
type, a communication link direction, a rank number, a type or a
capability of the subordinate entity, or a number of subordinate
entities scheduled in a same TTI.
At block 1504, the scheduling entity may utilize a CP length
recommendation block 342 to receive a recommended CP length
determined by the subordinate entity based on the CP length
proposal and a predetermined condition as described above in
relation to FIGS. 8-14. In some examples, the scheduling entity may
receive a recommended CP length that is different from those
included in the CP length proposal. In some aspects of the
disclosure, the scheduling entity may transmit a restricted set of
CP lengths (e.g., included in the CP length proposal) that includes
a subset of CP lengths that the scheduling entity may utilize to
communicate with subordinate entities in a cell or network. The
scheduling entity may send different sets of CP lengths (or CP
length proposals) to different subordinate entities. At block 1506,
the scheduling entity may utilize the transceiver 310 to
communicate with the subordinate entity utilizing a signal with the
recommended CP length. For example, the signal may be downlink
data, uplink data, sidelink data, and/or other communication
signals.
Several aspects of a wireless communication network have been
presented with reference to an exemplary implementation. As those
skilled in the art will readily appreciate, various aspects
described throughout this disclosure may be extended to other
telecommunication systems, network architectures and communication
standards. By way of example, various aspects may be implemented
within other systems defined by 3GPP, such as LTE, the Evolved
Packet System (EPS), the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System
(UMTS), and/or the Global System for Mobile (GSM). Various aspects
may also be extended to systems defined by the 3rd Generation
Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), such as CDMA2000 and/or
Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO). Other examples may be implemented
within systems employing IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX),
IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth, and/or other suitable
systems. The actual telecommunication standard, network
architecture, and/or communication standard employed will depend on
the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed
on the system.
Within the present disclosure, the word "exemplary" is used to mean
"serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any
implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other
aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term "aspects" does not
require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed
feature, advantage or mode of operation. The term "coupled" is used
herein to refer to the direct or indirect coupling between two
objects. For example, if object A physically touches object B, and
object B touches object C, then objects A and C may still be
considered coupled to one another--even if they do not directly
physically touch each other. For instance, a first object may be
coupled to a second object even though the first object is never
directly physically in contact with the second object. The terms
"circuit" and "circuitry" are used broadly, and intended to include
both hardware implementations of electrical devices and conductors
that, when connected and configured, enable the performance of the
functions described in the present disclosure, without limitation
as to the type of electronic circuits, as well as software
implementations of information and instructions that, when executed
by a processor, enable the performance of the functions described
in the present disclosure.
One or more of the components, steps, features and/or functions
illustrated herein may be rearranged and/or combined into a single
component, step, feature or function or embodied in several
components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components,
steps, and/or functions may also be added without departing from
novel features disclosed herein. The apparatus, devices, and/or
components illustrated herein may be configured to perform one or
more of the methods, features, or steps described herein. The novel
algorithms described herein may also be efficiently implemented in
software and/or embedded in hardware.
It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of
steps in the methods disclosed is an illustration of exemplary
processes. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the
specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods may be
rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of the
various steps in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to
the specific order or hierarchy presented unless specifically
recited therein.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled
in the art to practice the various aspects described herein.
Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to
those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein
may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended
to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded
the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein
reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean
"one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one
or more." Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "some"
refers to one or more. A phrase referring to "at least one of" a
list of items refers to any combination of those items, including
single members. As an example, "at least one of: a, b, or c" is
intended to cover: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b and
c. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the
various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known
or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are
expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be
encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is
intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such
disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is
to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112(f)
unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means
for" or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited
using the phrase "step for."
* * * * *
References